The Toronto Maple Leafs are discussing a potential Mitch Marner sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. Toronto is coming off another productive regular season that ended in playoff disappointment. The Maple Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division and entered the postseason as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Toronto won its first-round series against the Ottawa Senators but then fell to the Florida Panthers in the second round.

While the Panthers did go on to win the Stanley Cup, the 6-1 Game 7 loss at home caused some upheaval within the organization. In particular, Brendan Shanahan is out as President of Hockey Operations after eleven years. Now that the Maple Leafs have decided to extend John Tavares, the front office has a difficult decision to make with Mitch Marner. The 28-year-old right winger finished fifth in the NHL in points and is currently an unrestricted free agent. Should the Maple Leafs not want to keep Marner, it would be a shame to lose him for nothing.

General manager Brad Treliving is, therefore, evaluating his options, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman just gave an eye-opening update on this saga.

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“Something to keep an eye: on-and-off this week, Toronto and Vegas have been discussing the possibility of a sign-and-trade involving Mitch Marner Likelihood of it happening: hard to say. But talks have occurred and continue to do so.”

The Maple Leafs have been one of the most stable franchises in the NHL over the past decade. Toronto has made the playoffs nine straight years and has one of the best players in the world, Auston Matthews, still squarely in his prime. However, the organization is starting to get anxious since this team has not made it to the Conference Finals during that stretch, with plenty of squads that on paper looked like Stanley Cup contenders.

Overall, Marner's contract expires on June 30, making him a free agent on July 1. There's a decent chance the Maple Leafs let their star winger walk, considering his market value, which would not be idea. Toronto is at a crucial point in what should be an open championship window over the next half-decade. There are plenty of threats in the Eastern Conference, including the Panthers who are now going for the three-peat for the 2025-26 season. But it's time to take that next step in the Auston Matthews era.